Based upon what I saw in my first Nokia phone (an E71) within a month and a half, and after going through some of the threads here, I feel that the company makes a few assumptions about its users while designing the E-series phones. I further feel that those assumptions are probably one of the main reasons this platform (Symbian) is burning. Here they are.
- The user has already had a Nokia phone, so the user is familiar with the basic Nokia functionality of making calls, sending texts, etc.
- As long as a feature is there, it doesn't matter how deep it's burried or where it is. So, a preference related to the text messages (say, changing the message tone) can be put anywhere but in the messaging options.
- The user doesn't mind the number of steps or sub menus needed to just reach a particular preference, no matter how trivial the option is. (Can you copy the link of the current page opened in your Nokia browser in one or two steps?)
- Computers are so yesterday. Nobody uses them; the phones must be different.
- Whatever lacale preferences the Nokia product managers happen to have must be the default and they must be imposed on the users all over the world, without giving them any option to change them. Can I set the contacts' names to display in the format "First Last" in the messages? Or when I press the keys on the home screen corresponding to a contact's name (say, I pressed the 'A' key), the contacts with those letters in the last name appear first (the contact "DEF ABC" will appear first while "ABC JKL" may or may not appear) even when I've chosen to display the contacts in the order "First Last".
- There must be something embedded everywhere to mark the brand, otherwise people can forget that they're dealing with Nokia. So, even when a browser requests a full screen access, there is an irremovable icon obscuring the text (no other brand has this "feature").
- The user is always looking at the phone, and has no other thing to do all day long.
- If Nokia has implemented an insignificant feature which is not present in some other brands (because nobody was demanding it), that feature must be touted loudly, no matter if it annoys the users. Consider breathing light. If you turn it off, you lose the ability to turn off the screen in standby.
- If a feature is made mendatory and the user is not given an option to change its annoying behavior in any way, after a long enough time the user will get used to it, so much so that it would feel odd to the user if the user sees an easier way to accomplish the same thing on a different brand.
- If some feature managed to work once during the testing phase, that means it would now continue to work forever under the similar conditions. Of course, all users use their phones in the same way.
- All the settings are holy (that's why most are burried so deep). They must be changed or customized responsibly and at the most only thrice or so. Change them more often and they'll go default no matter what they seem to be. (For Opera Mini signed, for example, the settings are adjusted to not ask for permissions every time but it always asks.)
- Hard resets are a way of life and the most normal thing in the world.
With all those options pouring upon the users, the long time Nokia users also develop a particular attachment with their beloved phones of the only kind. Here's a list of what I think are typical thoughts of a Nokia fan:
- Since a particular feature is working on my phone, it must be working on all others. If it's not working on another phone, that other user must be wrong.
- A Nokia phone is a symbol of excellence. It can't be faulty. Never return it. Even if you do and intend to get a replacement, get another Nokia, which would work wonders - guaranteed.
- If a common feature which is present in another brand with a similar price range is not present in a Nokia brand, that particular Nokia model is outdated. The newer Nokia models do have that feature. Get those.
- If I've not seen any other phone, my views about the phones (which I made using the Nokia ones) must apply to all the brands. If they do not, the other brands messed up somewhere.
- What I tell you is a fact, as a long time Nokia user.
- Models differing with only a digit or a letter must be pretty similar, so if I have an E71, without mentioning that fact specifically, I can always suggest someone with an E72 or E7 the ways in which a particular function works.
- I've worked extremely hard to earn a high rank on these forums. Therefore, I have the special right to dictate and moderate other users and tell them if they're right about expressing their views here. That way, I'm making life easier for the moderators without getting a chunk from their salary. How noble I am!
At the moment, those were all from the top of my head. I may add more later. You could also add yours.
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